Bills relating to juvenile records and taxes on tourism passed the House on Monday and are making their way to the governor’s desk.
Juvenile Records
A piece of legislation sponsored by Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) and Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) will merge the software programs of all juvenile courts in Tennessee, part of a $75 million effort to integrate the court systems.
An amendment to the bill added by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) would unseal court records of a juvenile who is dead after committing homicide on school grounds. This includes medical reports and psychological evaluations.
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“I believe that if a juvenile goes into a school and commits a homicide, upon their death, everybody in this state ought to know what their history is,” Lamberth said, referencing January's Antioch High School shooting. “That child never should've had a gun. That child never should’ve had a gun in a school. That child should have never been in that school based on their history. It would be my argument once this is public that everyone will know exactly what that history was, and we all can have a conversation on how to make sure that this never happens again.”
The bill received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Tourism Tax
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House Bill 824, sponsored by Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville), will extend an existing measure that creates a 50-cent-per-night fee on all hotel rooms sold in Davidson County. The fee generates revenue to fund large-scale visitor events.
The bill extends the privilege tax by six years. The fund has recruited events like the Music City Bowl, the NHL All Star game and New Year's Eve Live. Freeman said it could be used to bring a Super Bowl to the city.
(Disclosure: Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, which publishes the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post, the Williamson Scene and Nfocus.)
